Author: Thor Thorson

Thor Thorson is president of Vintage Racing Motors, a Seattle-area collector-car dealer and vintage-racing support operation. He has been actively involved with racing for over 40 years, dealing with racers from Ferraris to Sprites, but is mostly seen driving Elva sports racers. He has been writing the race-car profiles for SCM since 2003.

1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider

It was the Tipo 166, introduced in 1948 as a replacement for the 125 S, that first established Enzo Ferrari’s Modenese workshop as a leading manufacturer of racing cars. Powered by a 2-liter, Colombo-designed V12 engine, the 166 set forward a course of development that would define the look, sound […]

1967 Ferrari 412P

The era was perfectly encapsulated by Sir Jackie Stewart as being “when sex was safe and racing was dangerous.” Ferrari and Fantuzzi, aided by the Maranello marque’s genius in-house stylist Edmondo Casoli (aka “the father of the 250 GTO”) created one of the most sexy, most beautiful pieces of performance […]

1990 Nissan R90CK

Born in 1982, Group C relaunched the World Endurance Championship and, for almost 10 years, this category attracted many competitors, both from major manufacturers and from more-modest craftsmen wanting to try their luck. Nissan was interested in this championship from an early stage, starting with the 1986 R85 V, fitted […]

1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider

By 1955, Mercedes-Benz’s 300SLR presented a challenge that could not be met by Ferrari’s V12 racers, nor the nimble 4-cylinder 750 Monza, prompting Il Commendatore to commission Aurelio Lampredi to create a more-powerful straight-6 powerplant. The advanced 3,747-cc engine found a home in the 118 LM — a sports car designed to […]

1968 Chevron B8

Offered here for auction at the 2023 Race Retro International Historic Motor Show is DBE-45, believed to be the only Chevron B8 to escape a racing life and reportedly sold for road use, which is supported by a “pink slip” and letter of authenticity. The B8 proved too difficult for […]

1959 Lister-Chevrolet Sports Racer

Ranking firmly among the most successful and innovative post-war British constructors, Lister earned a brilliant victory tally during its brief original period of activity during the 1950s. Developed in 1958, the Frank Costin-designed, spaceframe-chassis Lister-Costin succeeded the legendary “Knobbly” and served as the final Lister model built. This Lister-Chevrolet, chassis […]

1952 Allard K2 Special Roadster

Allard built just 119 K2 sports tourers from 1950 to 1952 and — now as then — each K2 is appreciated for its impressive performance potential on both road and track, as well as its distinctive styling and exclusivity. This K2, chassis number 91K3019, is something more special yet. As […]

1961 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Saloon

On paper, the Mercedes-Benz 220 was far from sporting. Its workaday 2.2-liter straight-6 was no fireball, and it had to be rowed hard to overcome a not-inconsiderable curb weight of 1,334 kilograms (2,941 pounds). But in that weight lay strength, and the model became an unexpected hit on the rally […]

1993 Lola-Ford Cosworth T93/00

Newman/Haas Racing’s 1993 CART PPG IndyCar World Series-winning chassis Powered Nigel Mansell to four of his five victories that season, with three poles Established Nigel Mansell as the only simultaneous reigning champion of IndyCar and Formula One Accompanied by workshop manual, laptop, electronic spares kit, championship hat, commemorative £2 coin, […]

1976 Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally

To get the 131 Abarth homologated for Group 4 competition and to replace the aging 124 Abarth, Fiat produced a roadgoing version in a few hundred units. Launched at the 1976 Geneva Motor Show, the 131 Abarth Rally got the same engine as the competition version, but a little “civilized,” […]